This invention relates to electrical wire connectors, and more particularly to connectors of the "quick connect type", and more particularly to connectors especially useful for burglar alarm systems.
Electrical connectors are typically required in order to couple together an electrical wire with another piece of electrical equipment. The other piece of electrical equipment can be another wire, metal foil, or electrical components. Typically, such electrical connectors include metal screws which can be loosened and to which is wound around a stripped metal wire so that the wire core will electrically contact the screws. The screws are then tightened. Other connectors can be crimped or soldered.
Certain types of electrical devices, such as electrical plugs now have what is commonly referred to as a "quick connect" arrangement. With such arrangements, the insulated wire is slipped into a channel and prongs pierce the electrical insulation to contact the wire core. While such arrangements are available for plugs and the like, their use has not been extended to wire connectors. Furthermore, the use of a prong is often sufficient to make satisfactory contact with the wire since the prong may miss the wire core. Also, in connection with coupling connectors, the prior art quick connect arrangement has not been useful for purposes of such connectors.
Electrical connectors are often used in conjunction with burglar alarm systems. In such systems, numerous types and styles of wire connectors are required depending upon the particular type of burglar alarm system installed. For example when windows are foiled with metallic foil, the end of the foil must be interconnected to electrical wires which continue the burglar alarm system and provide a continuity within the house. Typically, terminal connectors blocks are utilized for such purposes. With such blocks, in the prior art, the foil was connected to these terminal blocks and the wires were attached by means of the standard screw connection arrangement. At other locations in the typical burglar alarm system, one set of wires must be interconnected to another set by means of an easily separable wire connector which can pull apart. For example, such connectors are utilized on windows so that when the window will be open the connector will pull apart. Again, typically the screw connectors have been utilized where the insulated wires must be stripped and the wire core wrapped around the screws of the connector or a stripped wire is held in place by a screw exterting a force on a metal pin thereby exerting a holding force on the wire. Yet a third type of connector typically utilized in burglar alarm systems is the magnetic switch. In such cases, a pair of wires are held in a typically closed position by means of a magnetic reed switch included in the device and held in a closed position by means of an adjacent magnet. Should the magnet be removed by opening the window or door, for example, the wires will open by way of the magnetic switch causing the alarm to sound. Again, the wires have typically been connected by means of screws tightening onto the stripped wire.
While the foregoing has described typical connectors utilized in burglar alarm systems, it should be understood that connectors can also be utilized in other types of wiring systems, such as loud speaking systems, and other electrical installations. In all of these, typically for example, the wire connectors are of the crimp, solder and screw type where the stripped wires are wound around the screws and make contact by means of the tightened screws.
While all of the foregoing wire connectors utilizing the tightened screws for electrical contact have been adequate, they all require a considerable amount of time to connect the wire to the connector. When installing a burglar alarm system, by way of example, the amount of electrical connectors incorporated within such a system is such that any time spent on tightening electrical screws and making the connections, adds to the installation time of the system and accordingly increases the cost of the system tremendously.
Accordingly, there is need for a series of electrical wire connectors which utilize a quick connect mechanism whereby the electrical insulation wire can be inserted without striping the wire and without the need of a screw type connection to make contact with the electrical wire.
Additionally, often the user is not aware of the type of wire that may be utilized in the particular burglar alarm or other electrical system. In the past, any type of wire connector had to be specified to a particular wire size. If a thicker wire was utilized, a separately constructed wire connector was required. Generally, wire connectors had wire limitations of a very small range of sizes that could be accommodated. There was no way that the user was able to vary the wire connector to accommodate wires of different sizes.
Accordingly, there is a need for a series of electrical wire connectors which utilize the quick connect mechanism and which can further be varied so as to accommodate different wiring sizes.